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Legion Assault Squad
Legion Assault Squad member outfitted in Mark II Crusade Power Armour with a Serpha-V Pattern Jump Pack]] A Legion Assault Squad was a rapid attack formation of the ancient Space Marine Legions used during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras in the late 30th and early 31st Millennia. These squads were the penultimate forces used by the Legions for close-quarters fighting and guerrilla warfare. History The Legion Assault Squad was the precursor of the modern-era Assault Squads of the Adeptus Astartes still utilised in the late 41st Millennium. During the Great Crusade era, Jump Pack-equipped Legion Assault Squads were rapid attack forces whose wargear was optimised towards close-quarters fighting and hit-and-run tactics. The use of Jump Packs allowed Legion Assault Squads to move with greater speed across the battlefield and impact the enemy line with savage force, leaping past intervening terrain and open defences to engage their adversaries in bloody melee. The needs of even such limited flight systems, however, precluded the use of heavy weaponry or extensive munitions supplies. Jump Pack-equipped Assault Squads were not embraced to the same extent by all of the Legions for reasons of combat doctrine, temperament or simple resource difficulties, with the Raven Guard, Night Lords and World Eaters being among their greatest proponents. Even those Legions with whom Assault Squads did not find particular favour, such as the Death Guard and the Iron Hands, could still field a force of these squads when the tactical need arose. Unit Composition *'9-19 Legion Assault Space Marines' *'1 Legion Assault Sergeant' Wargear *'Power Armour' *'Bolt Pistol' *'Chainsword or Combat Blade' *'Frag Grenades' *'Krak Grenades' *'Jump Pack' Optional Wargear *'Melta Bombs' *'Combat Shields' *'Power Weapon (Any type)' *'Hand Flamer' *'Plasma Pistol' Optional Wargear (Sergeant Only) *'Artificer Armour' *'Hand Flamer' *'Plasma Pistol' *'Power Weapon' *'Single or Paired Lightning Claws' *'Thunder Hammer' *'Power Fist' *'Melta Bombs' *'Combat Shield' Sources *''Horus Heresy: Collected Visions'' (Art Book), pp. 32, 58, 70, 73, 76, 124-125, 128, 142, 174-175, 180, 187, 194, 228, 233, 243, 255, 260, 271, 284, 306-307, 309 *''The Horus Heresy - Book One: Betrayal'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 70, 74, 89, 91, 107, 111, 128, 203 *''The Horus Heresy - Book Two: Massacre'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 106, 142 *''The Horus Heresy - Book Three: Extermination'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 62-63, 68, 87-88, 112, 139, 141 *''The Horus Heresy - Book Five: Tempest'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 84 *''The Horus Heresy - Book Six: Retribution'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 96 *[https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-NZ/Legion-MKII-Assault-Squad Forge World - Mk III Assault Squad Set] *[https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-NZ/Legion-MKIV-Assault-Squad-Set Forge World - Mk IV Assault Squad Set] Gallery legionmkIIassaultp1.jpg|A Legion Assault Squad of the Salamanders Legion legionmkIIassaultp3.jpg|Salamanders Legion Assault Squad members armed with Chainswords and Bolt Pistols legionmkIIassaultp2.jpg|Two Salamanders Legionaries of an Assault Squad charge into battle Amunis Assault Squad2.jpg|A Thousand Sons Legion Assault Squad during the Battle of Prospero EC Durio_Assault Mk II.jpg|Emperor's Children Assault Legionary, Decurio Raths; wearing older Mark II Crusade Pattern battle-plate with a Serpha-V Pattern Jump Pack; the white enamel inlay is used to denote rank, this heraldry being an older Legion tradition dating back to before its unification with the Primarch Fulgrim. File:IF_Legion_Assault_Legionary.jpg|Imperial Fists Assault Legionary Gunther, 64th Squad, 344th Company, attached to Imperial Fists warship Oath of Stone; this Astartes is wearing the predominantly black heraldry of a veteran of the catastrophe of the War of the Howling Gyre, as well as the Great Crusade Veteran's Cross. The symbol on his chest denotes fortress defence, and the lightning bolts indicates his unit's participation in the Terran Unification Wars. He is outfitted with the Phaeton Pattern Heavy Lift Jump Pack commonly used with Mark IV Maximus Power Armour. NL Assault Squad Sgt.jpg|Night Lords Assault Sergeant, Talon-Master Vibius, Twelfth Forlorn, 22nd Company (The "Night-Scythes"); this Astartes' Mark IV Maximus Pattern battle-plate is adorned with grisly trophies on chains. Damaged arco-projectors lead to a limited replication of the armour's lightning motif. He is outfitted with the Phaeton Pattern Heavy Lift Jump Pack commonly used with Mark IV Maximus Power Armour. RG Assault Legionary.jpg|Raven Guard Assault Legionary, Ghelt, Squad Lyso, Assault Company, 4th Battalion, 5th Chapter; this Astartes is wearing late production Mark IV Maximus Pattern battle-plate with Artificer-applied surface etching. He is outfitted with the Phaeton Pattern Heavy Lift Jump Pack commonly used with Mark IV Power Armour. The white applied to the shoulder, forearm and gauntlet plates was an informal practice amongst Veteran Assault Squads which became much more common after the Legion's return to Deliverance, following the Drop Site Massacre of Istvaan V AL Assault Sergeant.png|Alpha Legion Assault Sergeant, identity unconfirmed. This warrior wears Mark IV Maximus Pattern battle-plate, with helm and pauldrons wrought by the Legion's master Artificers into a form unique to the XXth Legion. There are extensive armourial adornments and the green stripe on the helm likely indicates the warrior's rank as a Sergeant. Category:L Category:Chaos Category:Chaos Space Marines Category:History Category:Imperial History Category:Imperium Category:Space Marines